1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
A battery terminal is a member to be mounted on a battery post of a battery provided in a vehicle. A battery terminal manufactured by press-working one metal plate is disclosed in the Publication of Japanese Patent No. 4225405.
The battery terminal disclosed in the Publication of Japanese Patent No. 4225405 includes a terminal main body and a bracket. The terminal main body is formed by bending one metal plate and includes an upper base plate and a lower base plate arranged in parallel to each other, and two couplings that couple the upper and lower base plates. Each of the upper and lower base plates includes a battery post insertion hole. Each of the two couplings is U-shaped, with one end part linked to the upper base plate and the other end part linked to the lower base plate. Each of the two couplings includes a slide contact portion extending down from an upper side edge, and this slide contact portion has an inclined surface on a corner part connected to the upper base plate.
The bracket of the battery terminal disclosed in the Publication of Japanese Patent No. 4225405 includes a base plate to be fastened and fixed to an upper side portion using a bolt and a nut and two tapered portions obliquely extending from this base plate.
The bracket is fastened to the terminal main body using the bolt and the nut after a battery post is inserted into the battery post insertion holes. The two tapered portions then respectively slide in contact with the inclined surfaces provided on the respective two slide contact portions. Components of forces of the tapered portions pressing the inclined surfaces in a direction parallel to the upper and lower base plates move the two couplings in directions toward each other. The upper and lower base plates are deformed to reduce diameters of the battery post insertion holes and edges of the battery post insertion holes come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the battery post. In this way, the battery terminal and the battery post are connected electrically.
However, in the above configuration, the pressing forces from the tapered portions concentrate on the corner parts where the inclined surfaces are arranged and the terminal main body may be deformed to spread upper side parts (parts connected to the upper base plate) of the couplings and the slide contact portions. If such a situation occurs, the pressing forces from the tapered portions are not transferred sufficiently to lower side parts (parts connected to the lower base plate) of the couplings. Thus, the battery post insertion hole of the lower base plate cannot be arrowed sufficiently narrowed and may not be sufficiently connected to the battery post.
To avoid such a situation, the battery terminal disclosed in the above literature is provided with spiral contact portions connected to the lower side parts of the couplings and configured to come into contact with the slide contact portions from inner sides. This complicates the structure of the terminal main body.
The present invention was completed based on the above situation and aims to provide a battery terminal capable of suppressing unintended deformation of a terminal main body and ensuring connection reliability with a battery post by a simple configuration.